In the first place---if you haven't already---go see your GYN about the heavy bleeding. It could well be fibroids. I had that same problem develop when I was in my 40s.

Since you aren't specific as to what your "eye changes" involve, I can only guess. If you never wore glasses, you could be becoming far sighted which is common as we all age.

Many people (both male and female) develop acid reflux as they age.

Situational Depression is also quite common, as is easily becoming weepy. I remember listening to a sad song on the radio and the water works would start.

Insomnia is quite common during pre-menopause and menopause. So is fuzzy thinking. They say that once you're done with menopause, the fuzzy thinking and the insomnia go away---and I believe that to be true, given my own experience with it.

How to handle it? If you go through this forum, you will find that some have dealt with their symptoms by taking/eating soy or herbal supplements like black cohosh.

I know I found a technique that surprisingly works for hot flashes---when one comes on, imagine yourself in a freezing cold environment and the hot flash will subside.

Some doctors do still prescribe hormones on a very limited basis. When I would tell my GYN about my symptoms, she would ask me if they were bad enough to warrant a hormonal supplement. I would tell her, "No". She did also recommend soy supplementation.

Sometimes dietary changes and losing weight (if necessary) help. For almost 2 years, I've done a mostly vegan diet and get on the treadmill 4 times a week. I have noticed that it did help alleviate any symptoms.

As for the acid reflux---keep a food diary to see if it acts up after eating certain foods. Also, I would suggest trying an antacid with calcium, such as Tums to see if that helps. If it doesn't help, discuss your symptoms with your doctor. Should this be left untreated, you could be at risk for esophogeal cancer.

Through all of this, there's one thing to always remember---menopause doesn't last forever. Eventually, you will go through it and the symptoms do subside.

Best wishes to you!

I began having some of those symptoms in my forty's as well. What helped me tremendously are the bio-identical natural hormone pellets. If I would have found them earlier I would have avoided alot of pain and suffering (irritability, depression, bad PMS, severe, severe migraines). It's better if you go to an Alternative Medicine doctor and not a OB/GYN doctor. The GYNs that are trained to use these are trained to give you the hormones based on an abnormal blood test results only and if the blood test results are "normal", what they end up doing is prescribing you toxic drugs to "calm" (drug) you down that eventually damage your liver and your brain if you let them. I know from experience. Alternative doctors, although they will take lab work to check your hormones, they treat you based on your symptoms. This is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life and I have never felt this good in a long time! I travel 2 hours (one way) to get to his office because there are not too many around, but it's sure worth it.

As for the heavy periods, the last few months before I hit menopause, I thought I was going to bleed to death! I would have to take off work the first day of my period every month, because nothing would hold the flow. My boss got so mad about it, he told me to come in or be fired. I had already been to the doctor, and he gave me hormones which made me sick, and so I was stuck. I told him to go ahead and fire me, but I wasn't going to stand working in a pool of blood all day! He didn't fire me, but if he had, I wouldn't have cared at that point.

My very last period was a literal flood. After 4 days, I went to the hospital, and they gave me some really strong meds that made me puke all night, but it worked. I never had another one, thank God, because I would have told them to just take it all out!